In a major development, Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Quddus Bizenjo on Wednesday night reached Gwadar, to hold talks with the leader of Gwadar Rights Movement, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch.
The Maulana has been leading a sit-in for the last 31 days, demanding an end to illegal trawling, as well as the provision of basic facilities including clean drinking water and electricity for the local people. The government has already had a series of negotiations with the protesters. The CM will initiate negotiation with the sit-in leader on Thursday.
“Negotiations will be held tomorrow (today) at 17:00 at the site of sit-in; the Chief Minister will come to the sit-in along with his cabinet members and Federal Ministers,”Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman said in a tweet.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Imran Khan while taking notice of the fishermen’s protest in Gwadar said that strong action against illegal fishing by trawlers would be taken and directed the Chief Minister to resolve the issue.
The Maulana welcomed the announcement and hoped the “issue would now be resolved”. Moreover, last week in an exclusive interview, Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman told Gwadar Pro that the protest is not against “China or China-led development and CPEC in Gwadar” and “it aims to seek rights to live a life that every Pakistani deserves”.
The Chief Minister on Monday announced in a statement that he would hold negotiations with the protesters of Gwadar with a “positive mind” and he added that a ban imposed on illegal trawling in Balochistan’ waters would be strictly implemented. According to the statement, the people of Gwadar are being provided with clean drinking water, electricity and other basic facilities on a priority basis.
Moreover, the Secretary of Power Division on Wednesday informed the Pak-China Relations Steering Committee (PCRSC) that an initial 132-Kilovolt line is being built to provide supply power from the National Grid Station to the city of Gwadar. He said that the provision of solar panels to 3000 households of Gwadar and other short-term measures were also being taken to ensure additional supply of electricity to the city.
